Lingyun Garden.
"Miss Xie." Wanji arrived at Lingyun Garden ahead of time with a smile, holding a whisk. Xie Zhiqing's status has risen higher and higher, and everyone calls her Master Xie.
Only a handful of people can address Xie Zhiqing as Miss Xie.
"Why has Eunuch Wan come? Does Her Majesty the Empress Dowager have any instructions?"
Xie Zhiqing quickly put down what she was doing and instructed the maid beside her to make tea for Wanji.
Wanji did not refuse and sat down directly. "The Empress Dowager will be coming to Lingyun Garden in person tomorrow, so I brought some people with me today to ensure the Empress Dowager's safety tomorrow."
"Is Your Highness feeling unwell?"
Xie Zhiqing hesitated before speaking, because even when the Empress Dowager visited Lingyun Garden beforehand, Wanji had not come here in advance to arrange manpower, so Xie Zhiqing's expression inevitably carried a hint of worry.
"Your Majesty is already seven months pregnant with the dragon prince."
Xie Zhiqing's eyes narrowed sharply upon hearing this; the Empress Dowager was pregnant!
“Eunuch Wan, why don’t I take the women from Lingyun Garden to the palace to pay our respects to the Empress Dowager tomorrow?” Xie Zhiqing immediately came up with a solution. “The Empress Dowager is unwell and has difficulty moving around, so we will go and pay our respects.”
"Her Majesty said she would come in person."
Seeing Xie Zhiqing's nervous expression, Wanji couldn't help but chuckle.
"Tomorrow, it won't just be the Empress Dowager coming, but also several ministers from the court," Wanji said slowly. "The Empress Dowager's pregnancy can no longer be concealed."
"Then tomorrow, I urge Eunuch Wan to ensure the safety of the Empress Dowager. Please feel free to speak if you need any cooperation from Lingyun Garden."
The next day, Jiang Yu left the palace in a sedan chair and headed straight for Lingyun Garden.
In the chilly March air, Jiang Yu was still wearing a cloak. Wherever he went, people knelt down to pay their respects, and Jiang Yu smiled and waved in response.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."
"Get up, all of you, let me take a good look at you."
Jiang Yu walked down the street with her pregnant belly, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Kui Ruo and the other court officials were also stunned for a moment, and then a look of shock appeared in their eyes.
"It is truly an honor for Lingyun Garden that Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has personally graced us with her presence." Xie Zhiqing's voice made the air begin to circulate again. "It is cold outside, Your Majesty, please come in."
Two plain-colored sedan chairs followed behind Jiang Yu's sedan chair, with Qin Ke'er and Sun Shu sitting inside.
Seeing that Jiang Yu had stepped into Lingyun Garden first, the old woman guarding the sedan chair opened the car window and invited Qin Ke'er and Sun Shu to get off the carriage.
"Ladies, let me be frank from the beginning: Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has graciously allowed you two to come along today. I hope you will not do anything to disappoint Her Majesty."
In the past, Qin Ke'er and Sun Shu would have been furious upon hearing such words, but today the two stared blankly at the plaque of Lingyun Garden, remaining silent.
......
Inside Lingyun Garden.
The five women on the list stood at the front, while the rest stood behind, allowing Jiang Yu to scrutinize them.
"Are the five of you on this list?"
Jiang Yu smiled and looked at Guo Siyuan in the center, "Congratulations to you both."
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager." Guo Siyuan kept her eyes lowered, seemingly unable to meet Jiang Yu's gaze.
Jiang Yu glanced at Wei Ruo out of the corner of her eye, then slowly stood up. Her pregnant belly made it difficult for her to move around, and Ling Mama carefully helped her.
"Let me see what the people behind me are doing. Raise your heads."
Jiang Yu slowly approached, her fragrance filling everyone's nostrils. "Not passing this time doesn't mean you'll never pass. The imperial examination is a competition for talented men and women from all over the world. You must remain calm and composed, and keep your minds clear."
"Your Majesty, can we really try again?" A woman looked up at Jiang Yu, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"Of course, if you want to take the exam again, you can stay here. If you have family members to take care of, opening a private school back home is also a good option."
Jiang Yu's voice also reached Sun Shu's ears: "Studying gives you more choices, but the real choice is still yourselves."
"The Empress looks like a Bodhisattva."
A younger woman spoke softly, which made everyone around her laugh.
"Am I a Bodhisattva?"
The woman nodded. "I want to stay and keep taking the exam. If I fail the first time, I'll take it again. I've come all the way to Lingyun Garden, so I'm determined to achieve my lofty ambitions."
"What lofty ambition! You have great aspirations!" Jiang Yu smiled kindly. "How old are you this year?"
"Twenty-four."
"I hope to see you on the list of successful candidates in the spring examination three years from now."
During this trip, Jiang Yu's pregnant belly was clearly seen by everyone, and everyone knew that Jiang Yu was pregnant.
On the way back to the palace, Qin Ke'er and Sun Shu became even more silent, neither of them uttering a single word.
Only after returning to the palace did Qin Ke'er speak softly:
"Sister Shu, would you like to try again?"
"I think."
When she said those two words, Sun Shu could clearly hear her own heartbeat.
Soaring ambitions...
How could she not want to?
Whether to become a noblewoman or a female official in Dayu, she simply couldn't control herself and chose the latter.
......
Zhaoning Palace.
"Mother, is your stomach alright?"
As soon as Jiang Yu returned, Gu Qingyan immediately came to Zhaoning Palace and looked Jiang Yu up and down. "Mother insisted on going to Lingyun Garden by herself, but she wouldn't let me go with her. I was so worried about her."
"The memorials in the Hall of Supreme Harmony are waiting for your approval. Do you expect me to split you in two?"
Hearing Jiang Yu's words, Gu Qingyan chuckled and pursed his lips. "Mother, since Father went to court last time, the number of memorials from the officials has decreased by more than half, and the content of the memorials has also been greatly simplified. I have been able to spend less time dealing with state affairs every day."
"Such a thing is possible?"
Jiang Yu raised her eyebrows, and thinking of Gu Lin's tense face, she didn't find it strange. Anyone threatened by Gu Lin like that probably wouldn't dare to continue doing as they pleased.
"So the child has more time to spend with Mother."
Gu Qingyan looked at Jiang Yu's belly with shining eyes, wondering if his mother was carrying a boy or a girl.
"Mother, you've been forbidding Mei Chu from revealing to anyone whether the child in your womb is a boy or a girl. Aren't you curious?" Gu Qingyan couldn't help but ask. According to Mei Chu's medical skills, she could determine the sex of the child at four or five months.
"I'm curious too."
Jiang Yu looked down at her belly, "I just want to leave this mystery until the end and see what kind of child God will give us next."
"us?"
"Yes, it is not only a gift to the Empress Dowager, but also a gift to your father, and also a gift to you."
Jiang Yu reached out and lightly tapped Gu Qingyan's nose, and both mother and son burst out laughing.
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